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Sony DSC-S70

Sony makes a compact 3.3 megapixel digicam with full movie/sound capability and a razor-sharp Zeiss lens!

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Page 9:Camera Modes & Menus

Review First Posted: 5/5/2000

Camera Modes and Menus

Playback: This mode is accessed via the mode dial on top of the camera. Playback mode lets the user review images and movies, as well as delete and protect files. Following is the Playback menu which is accessible by pressing the up arrow on the rocker toggle button:

  • Index: turns on the six image thumbnail display.
    • Return: returns the camera to play (still image) mode.


  • Delete: deletes the displayed image with an option to cancel.


  • File
    • Format: formats the Memory Stick, with an option to cancel.

    • Rotate: rotates a still image in 90 degree increments.
      • Return: returns the camera to play (still image) mode.

    • Slide Show: displays the following submenu:
      • Interval: sets the slide show interval to three, five, 10, 30 or 60 seconds.
      • Repeat: turns the slide show repeat function on or off.
      • Start: starts the slide show.
      • Cancel: cancels the slide show settings and execution.

    • Print Mark: marks still images to be printed.

    • Protect: write protects individual images from accidental erasure (except from formatting).


  • Tool
    • Copy: copies individual images.

    • Resize: changes the recorded still image size to 2048 x 1536, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 640 x 480 with an option to cancel.


  • Setup
    • Video Out: sets the video out signal to NTSC or PAL.

    • Language: sets the camera's menu language to English or Japanese.

    • Clock Set: sets the camera's internal date and time.

    • Beep: turns the camera beep and shutter sound on or off.

    • LCD Bright: adjusts the brightness of the LCD display.



Still Capture Mode: Accessed by turning the mode dial to the Still position, this mode lets the user capture still images with the following exposure mode options, all accessed through the Program AE button:

  • Program AE: The default setting for the camera and puts the camera in charge of all exposure decisions. You can control flash, white balance, exposure compensation and sharpness.

  • Aperture Priority: Puts the user in charge of setting the aperture while the camera selects the corresponding shutter speed. White balance, flash, exposure compensation, sharpness and picture effects options are available.

  • Shutter Priority: Lets the user select the shutter speed while the camera chooses the corresponding aperture. White balance, flash, exposure compensation, sharpness and picture effects options are available.

  • Twilight: Sets up the camera for bright subjects against dark backgrounds such as night scenes. White balance, flash, exposure compensation, sharpness and picture effects options are available.

  • Twilight Plus: Performs the same function as Twilight, but is slightly intensified. White balance, flash, exposure compensation, sharpness and picture effects options are available.

  • Landscape: Sets the focus at infinity for capturing far away subjects and landscape scenes. White balance, flash, exposure compensation, sharpness and picture effects options are available.

  • Panfocus: Lets the camera move quickly between infinity and close-up focus settings for capturing moving subjects. White balance, flash, exposure compensation, sharpness and picture effects options are available.

  • Spot Metering: Adjusts the camera's exposure metering system to take readings from the direct center of the image. White balance, flash, exposure compensation, sharpness and picture effects options are available.


Movie Capture Mode: Accessed by turning the mode dial to the Movie position, this mode allows the user to record up to 60 second movies with sound. All the same exposure options are available as with Still capture mode, except for flash modes.

Record Settings Menu: This menu is accessible in all record modes and is accessed by pressing the up arrow of the rocker toggle button if not already at the bottom of the screen. Following are the five submenus:

  • Self-Timer: activates the 10 second self-timer, which is triggered by the shutter button.

  • Effect
    • Picture Effect: sets image special effects with choices of Solarize, Black & White, Sepia and Negative Art.

    • Date/Time: selects whether or not to insert the date and time on the image (Still only).


  • File
    • Format: formats the Memory Stick card.

    • Position Sensor: records still images captured with the camera on its side (vertical images) as horizontal images. Not available in Text or Movie modes.

    • File Number: assigns numbers to files in sequence (Series) or resets the file numbering each time the Memory Stick is changed (Normal).

    • Image Size: for still images, sets the size of the final image to 2048 x 1536, 2048 (3:2), 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960 or 640 x 480; movie options are 320 HQ, 320 x 240 and 160 x 112.

    • Record Mode: for still images, sets the type of file to be recorded with the following options:
      • TIFF: records an uncompressed TIFF file in addition to the JPEG file.
      • Text: records a GIF file in black and white.
      • Voice: records an audio file (with a still image) in addition to the JPEG file.
      • E-mail: records a small size (320 x 240) JPEG file in addition to the selected image size.
      • Normal: records a JPEG file in the selected image size.

    • Record Time Set: for movie images, adjusts the recording time with options of 15 seconds, 10 seconds and five seconds for a quick press of the shutter button.


  • Camera
    • Conversion: sets up the camera to use a conversion lens kit so that autofocus works with the lens, with option of On or Off. (Currently, the only conversion lens option is a 0.7x nwide-angle converter that produces a minimum effective focal length of only 23.8 mm, one of the widest-angle lens options available in the digicam marketplace.)

    • Digital Zoom: enables or disables the 2x digital zoom. (Still mode only). When enabled, the zoom indicator on the LCD display shows an additional zoom range, marking the digital zoom range with a vertical bar on the zoom display. Despite this option setting, digital zoom is only available when the LCD viewfinder is enabled, because the user wouldn't be able to tell how the image was being framed otherwise.

    • Sharpness: adjusts the image sharpness from -2 to +2 in arbitrary units, with zero being normal sharpness level (Still mode only).

    • White Balance: sets the camera's white balance at Auto, Indoor, Outdoor or Hold (manual).

    • Flash Level: adjusts the flash intensity to High, Normal or Low (Still mode only). This setting also controls the level of the optional, dedicated external flash, if one is connected.

    • Exposure: adjusts the exposure compensation value from -2 to +2 EV in 1/3 EV increments.


  • Setup
    • Demo: displayed only when the AC adaptor is connected to the camera, this turns the camera's internal demonstration tutorial on or off.

    • Video Out: sets the video out signal to NTSC or PAL.

    • Language: sets the camera's menu language to English or Japanese.

    • Clock Set: sets the camera's date and time.

    • Beep: turns the camera beep noises on or off with an option for a shutter noise when the shutter button is pressed.

    • LCD Bright: adjusts the brightness of the LCD display.

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